someone / anybody
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someone / anybody
A person whose identity is unknown or unimportant. In questions and conditional statements, it can also refer to any person.
Irgendjemand hat seinen Regenschirm im Bus vergessen.
Someone left their umbrella on the bus.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | – | – |
| accusative | – | – |
| dative | – | – |
| genitive | – | – |
'Irgendjemand' is made up of 'irgend' (some kind of / any) and 'jemand' (someone). 'Irgend' deliberately makes the person indefinite and shows that their exact identity is irrelevant.
Irgendjemand hat vorhin an der Tür geklingelt.
Someone rang the doorbell a little while ago.
'Irgendjemand' refers grammatically to one unknown person. That is why the verb is in the singular.
Irgendjemand wartet schon seit zehn Minuten vor dem Gebäude.
Someone has been waiting outside the building for ten minutes already.
Depending on its function in the sentence, 'irgendjemand' can take different case forms: In the accusative, it becomes 'irgendjemanden' (someone), and in the dative, 'irgendjemandem' (to someone). These forms show whether the person is directly affected or receives something or is affected by something.
Ich habe irgendwo irgendjemanden mit einem roten Rucksack gesehen.
I saw someone with a red backpack somewhere.
Irgendjemandem muss der Schlüssel aus der Tasche gefallen sein.
The key must have fallen out of someone's bag.
